Spinal Cord Injury

SCI: Physical Activity (2007)

• Assessment
  How does physical activity affect energy needs in spinal cord-injured individuals?

  • Conclusion
    In people with spinal cord injury, the use of a manual standard wheelchair increases energy needs, heart rate, oxygen consumption and ventilation, especially as speed and resistance levels increase, compared to ultralight wheelchairs and pushrim-activated, power-assisted wheelchairs. In addition, a carefully planned weight management program incorporating physical activity has been shown to reduce and/or maintain weight in overweight and obese individuals with spinal cord injury.
  • Grade: III
    • Grade I means there is Good/Strong evidence supporting the statement;
    • Grade II is Fair;
    • Grade III is Limited/Weak;
    • Grade IV is Expert Opinion Only;
    • Grade V is Not Assignable.
    • High (A) means we are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect;
    • Moderate (B) means we are moderately confident in the effect estimate;
    • Low (C) means our confidence in the effect estimate is limited;
    • Very Low (D) means we have very little confidence in the effect estimate.
    • Ungraded means a grade is not assignable.
  • Evidence Summary: How does physical activity affect energy needs in spinal cord-injured individuals?
    • Detail
    • Quality Rating Summary
      For a summary of the Quality Rating results, click here.
    • Worksheets
      • Algood SD, Cooper RA, Fitzgerald SG, Cooper R, Boninger ML. Impact of a pushrim-activated power-assisted wheelchair on the metabolic demands, stroke frequency, and range of motion among subjects with tetraplegia. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:1865-1871.
      • Beekman CE, Miller-Porter L, Schoneberger M. Energy cost of propulsion in standard and ultralight wheelchairs in people with spinal cord injuries. Physical Therapy 1999;79:146-158. 
      • Chen Y, Henson S, Jackson AB, Richards JS. Obesity intervention in persons with spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord. 2006;44:82-91.
      • Cooper RA, Fitzgerald SG, Boninger ML, Prins K, Rentschler AJ, Arva J, O'Connor TJ. Evaluation of a pushrim-activated, power-assisted wheelchair. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2001;82:702-708.
      • Mukherjee G, Bhowik P, Samanta A. Energy cost of manual wheelchair propulsion at different speeds. International J Rehab Research 2002;25:71-75.
  • Search Plan and Results: Physical Activity 2006